TikTok launches a ‘BeReal’ clone called ‘TikTok Now’

TikTok has announced a new feature called ‘TikTok Now’, which will ask users to instantaneously click a photo showing the view from their phone’s front and back cameras at a random hour of the day, similar to BeReal’s strategy. BeReal is a new social networking platform that attempts to do things differently. Instead of pushing users with an ongoing algorithmic feed filled with concerns such as unrealistic life and body standards, users are prompted to snap a picture at a random time of day.

The new TikTok Now feature performs almost similar. You’ll get a “Time to Now” alert once every day, prompting you to “record a 10-second video or a static snapshot to instantly share what you’re up to.” If you publish within three minutes of receiving the notification, your post will be marked as “on time.” Otherwise, it will be reported that you posted late.

The picture, which shows both the front and rear camera views, serves as a stark reminder that what people do in their everyday lives is not the heavily edited version that they share on platforms like Instagram. The concept has grabbed on, so much so that BeReal became the No. 1 non-gaming program on the App Store for the US market in August.

As a result, TikTok Now has certain privacy features built in from the start. If a person under the age of 16 registers for a standalone TikTok Now app, their account will be made to private by default, much like TikTok. Furthermore, users must be 18 years old to share their BeReals TikTok Now posts on the Explore Feed. Only your friends — those you follow who follow you back — will be allowed to comment on your posts for users 13 to 15. Even for users 18 and over, the default option allows only friends to access your postings, however, they may adjust their settings to share with the rest of the world if they like.